Florida football EDGE Tyreak Sapp will play in 2026 Shrine Bowl
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After five years in Gainesville, Florida football's redshirt senior edge defender Tyreak Sapp is ready to move on to the next level. The first stop on that path will be the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl, for which he formally accepted his invitation on Friday.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 274-pound professional prospect originally from Ft Lauderdale joins a quartet of fellow Gators who will represent the Orange and Blue in the exhibition. Wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, fellow edge defener George Gumbs Jr., place-kicker Trey Smack and punter Tommy Doman have already made their RSVPs to the signature event.
Sapp's peak came in 2024, when he played in all 13 games with nine starts, leading the team with seven sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles. He earned the highest PFF grade among all qualified Florida players with 90.4 — ranking him eighth highest among all FBS edge rushers and fifth highest among all SEC edge rushers.
That was the highest ranking of any Florida defender since Jonathan Greenard in 2019, who posted a PFF ranking of 90.5. He considered entering the 2025 NFL draft, but instead returned to Gainesville for his final hurrah, recording 34 tackles (12 solo, 22 assisted), including 3.5 tackles-for-loss — one of which was a sack — for 34 yards.
For his career, Sapp played 49 games over four seasons, amassing 125 tackles (52 solo, 73 assisted) with 10 sacks for 53 yards and a total of 21.5 tackles-for-loss for 75 yards. He registered four forced fumbles and defended two passes as well.
The defender made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll twice (2022-23) and earned his bachelor's degree in Education Sciences this past fall.
About the East-West Shrine Bowl
"The East-West Shrine Bowl brings together the nation’s top college football players, providing them with a platform to showcase their talents before NFL scouts, coaches, and executives from all 32 teams," the official website states.
The game — which is held at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 — also helps raise funds for the Shriners Children’s network of health care facilities, which help provide specialized pediatric care to children facing complex health challenges.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football EDGE Tyreak Sapp accepts 2026 Shrine Bowl invitation
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